Tools/Materials:
- 2 sample bottles
- plankton net
Directions:
To collect top plankton, drag the plankton net along the surface of the water. For bottom plankton, submerse and drag the net under the water to collect a sample. Put both samples in seperate containers.
Once at school; put top and bottom plankton in seperate petri dishes so they will be ready to take samples from for the microscopes.
Significance:
Phytoplankton are the basis for all life on earth. They are responsible for providing 90% of Earth's oxygen through photosynthesis. When the diversity of plankton is low, this means that the water quality probablly isn't as good as it could be because there are not a lot of plankton providing nutrients or oxygen for the water. Without oxygen, it is harder for other species to contribute to this ecosystem.
Typical Results:
Cladocera ( water flies)
Chilodonells
Fragilaria
- 2 sample bottles
- plankton net
Directions:
To collect top plankton, drag the plankton net along the surface of the water. For bottom plankton, submerse and drag the net under the water to collect a sample. Put both samples in seperate containers.
Once at school; put top and bottom plankton in seperate petri dishes so they will be ready to take samples from for the microscopes.
Significance:
Phytoplankton are the basis for all life on earth. They are responsible for providing 90% of Earth's oxygen through photosynthesis. When the diversity of plankton is low, this means that the water quality probablly isn't as good as it could be because there are not a lot of plankton providing nutrients or oxygen for the water. Without oxygen, it is harder for other species to contribute to this ecosystem.
Typical Results:
Cladocera ( water flies)
Chilodonells
Fragilaria
Cladocera